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Pallet
Definition
A pallet is a flat, portable platform, usually wood, with a top deck and a bottom structure that lets a stack of freight be lifted and moved as one unit by forklift or pallet jack.
What it means
The 48 x 40 in. pallet, often called the GMA pallet, is the dominant standardized size in the U.S. A USDA Forest Service study found it was about 35% of new wood pallet production and 69% of the recycled market in 2016, and that stringer pallets made up most of production.[1] A skid is the simpler cousin: in FedEx Freight's words, "a pallet has bottom deck boards, and a skid doesn't."[2]
A 48 x 40 pallet covers 1,920 square inches, or 13.33 square feet of floor. How many fit in a container or trailer is worked out from published inside dimensions in container vs. trailer capacity. Wood pallets crossing borders must meet ISPM 15; pallets used only inside the U.S. do not.[3]
Example
A shipper builds 20 cartons onto a 48 x 40 in. pallet, stretch-wraps it to the pallet base and labels two adjacent sides, so the receiver can scan it and move it with one forklift trip instead of handling 20 cartons.
Related
Related terms
- RepalletizingRepalletizing is moving freight onto a new or different pallet, or building loose cartons onto pallets, so...Glossary
- Ti-HiTi-Hi describes how cases are stacked on a pallet: Ti (tier) is the number of cases on one layer, and Hi...Glossary
- ISPM 15ISPM 15 is the international standard for wood packaging material, such as pallets, crates and dunnage, that...Glossary
- Floor-Loaded FreightFloor-loaded freight is cartons stacked directly on the floor of a container or trailer, without pallets...Glossary
- Freight DensityFreight density is the weight of a handling unit divided by the space it occupies, usually stated in pounds...Glossary
Related questions
- How Many Cartons Fit on a Pallet?Multiply the cartons per layer (the Ti) by the number of layers (the Hi). The Ti is how many cartons fit on...Answer
- How Many Pallets Fit on a 26-ft Box Truck?On a rental fleet's published interior of up to 25 ft 11 in. long by 8 ft 1 in. wide, floor math gives 12...Answer
Related tools
Related freight problems
Related guides
Sources
- USDA Forest Service Research and Development, “Investigation of new and recovered wood shipping platforms in the United States (Gerber, Horvath, Araman, Gething, 2020),” Government research. Published 2020. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- FedEx Freight, “What is the difference between a pallet and a skid?,” Carrier resource page. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “Frequently Asked Questions on Wood Packaging Materials,” Government guidance. Accessed September 2026.
General operational information, not legal, customs or regulatory advice. Rules and rates change; confirm current requirements with the agency, carrier or contract that governs your shipment.